Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Advisor to the Ministry of Environment, Forests, Climate Change and Water Resources, has announced a series of proactive steps aimed at tackling air pollution, with a strong focus on controlling dust pollution in Dhaka ahead of winter.

Rizwana also outlined the government`s comprehensive plan addressing immediate, mid-term, and long-term solutions under the Bangladesh Clean Air Project (BCAP), reports UNB.

The adviser came up with the information while talking to journalists at the Bangladesh Secretariat following a productive meeting with a visiting team of Chinese air pollution experts.

"As part of short-term measures, all road repair works in Dhaka are targeted to be completed before winter. Surface covering, fencing and water spraying systems will be implemented to control dust," she said.

Additional initiatives including using watering carts, land hardening and enforcing a "zero soil" policy will be taken to prevent dust from exposed surfaces, she added.

To curb vehicular pollution-a major contributor to poor urban air quality-the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) will remove outdated vehicles and introduce 250 new ones.

Plans are also in place to establish 10 automatic vehicle inspection centers to enforce emission standards.

Besides, a working group will be formed in consultation with the Chinese experts to develop long-term strategies, said the adviser.

She also stressed the importance of accurate data collection and analysis for policy formulation and sustainable progress.

Mid- and long-term goals include establishing an advanced air quality emission monitoring system, aligning emission standards with global norms, introducing sanitary landfills and waste incineration plants and promoting liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for cleaner cooking.

Meanwhile, tax incentives for environmentally friendly practices and technologies are also under review.

Under BCAP, the Department of Environment (DoE) will launch a continuous emission monitoring system for high-polluting industries and conduct training and awareness programs nationwide.

Meanwhile, the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) will install road fencing and introduce 50 electric vehicles to promote cleaner transport.

A Japan-funded initiative will establish eight real-time air quality monitoring stations to support evidence-based policymaking and the BEST project will also be implemented to complement these efforts.

Advisor Rizwana expressed optimism about the collaboration with the Chinese expert team, noting that their expertise will significantly enhance Bangladesh`s capacity to fight air pollution.

She reaffirmed the government`s strong commitment to creating a cleaner and healthier environment for all.

Dr. Farhina Ahmed, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Professor Yu Zhao, Executive Dean, School of Environment, Nanjing University; Dr. Haikun Wang, Vice Dean, Nanjing-Helsinki Institute in Atmospheric and Earth System Sciences; and Dr. Tengyu Liu, Associate Professor, School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, were present among others.

The meeting emphasized the importance of developing a national emission inventory and conducting chemical analyses to identify pollution sources.

These steps will lay the foundation for a robust source apportionment study-key to designing targeted, science-based interventions across the country.